Medical device



R. W. MUNRO MEDICAL DEVICE July 28, 1936.

Filed Nov. 15, 1932 ZIMW Patented July 28, I936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in I medical devices and pertains particularly to 8.

- tion' taken in connection with the soluble pessary.. a

The primary object of the presentinvention is to provide a pessary which is formed of any suitable substance which will be completely dissolved by the heat of the body when the pessary has beenplaced in position in the body' cavity which it is designed to medicate, and which is chambered and has such chamber or chambers filled with a medicinal substance which will be slowly liberated as the device dissolves.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pessary which may be formed in any one of a number of difierent shapes, in which the medicament is contained in a number of chambers therein whereby an even distribution thereof will Y be obtained as the device dissolves.

The invention will be best understood from-a Y consideration of the following detailed descripaccompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is tudinally fluted -to .not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long-as'such changes or modifications mark no material, departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. Y

In the drawing:- Figure 1 is a view in transverse section through one form of the device embodying the present in- ,vention, the device being of circular design and the section being taken on a plane extending parallel to the axis thereof; 1

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a modified tom of the device;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken upontheline3-3ofFigure2; I

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view througha further modification of the device;

Figure 5 isaview illustrating a cross section of a pessary of. the general character of that shown in Figure 4 but with the elongated portion longipermit of more ready compression and reduction'of thacirgumference.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indicate correspondingiparts throughout the several views,

the numeral I indicates generally one-0t a num-- ber of forms in which a pessary may be formed and embody the present invention. In this form the body of the pessary is made of circular outline and its peripheral surface is curved transversely as indicated at 2 while the .opposite iaces thereof have formed therein the depressions or cavities 3 for the purpose hereinafter described. The body of this device may be formed of any suitable substance which will slowly dissolve at body heat whenthe device is I placed in the body cavity which it is designed to medicate. 'It is preferable that the substance be so compounded as to melt away or dissolve extremely slowly so that the medicating substance contained therein will be discharged at a slow rate and thereby prolong its medicating efi'ect upon the surrounding surfaces. It is, of course, understood that the substance of which the body is formedemust be of a character which may be absorbed with the medicament and which will 16 not introduce any matter into the body cavity which would have a harmful efiect upon the membranous lining thereof.

As shown, the body I is made hollow thus forming the chamber 4 and this chamber, which 20 in the present form of the device covers the entire interior area of the body, has introduced therein the medicating substance 5 which may be in, the form of a liquid or a salve. This suhstance may be otan antiseptic nature entirely or it may contain demulcent substances or narcotic drugs where the use of such treatment is indicated.

Figure 2 shows a modification of the form of the device illustrated in Figure 1.

This form is indicated generally by the numeral 6 and like the device I is of circular con- V tour and has the circumferential surtace transversely arcuate or rounded as indicated at l and the opposed cup-like depressions or pockets 8 .in the side i This form, however, has a central area 8 which separates the medicine con-' taining chambers and these chambers are'nret-i erably as shown in Figure 3 where each is indicated by the numeral I0. In this construction the body has formed thcreinat each side of the central solid area the two circular groups oi. small chambers in each 01' .which the medlcating subthat the walls of these cavities and the adiac'ent portions of the curved circumferential wall I may melt away before the central area 9 melts.

Figure 4 illustrates still another form of the invention wherein the fundamental idea is embodied. In this form there is provided a circular a continuous circular chamber like the chamber 5 in the form of the device illustrated in Figure 1 or it may be divided by radial walls so as to form a plurality of small chambers as illustrated in Figure 3 in connection with the device indicated by the numeral 6.

Figure 5 represents'a cross sectional view of a modification of the form of pessary illustrated in Figure 4 wherein the elongated part thereof is provided with the longitudinally extending 'fiutes i8 which permit of the more ready reduction of the circumference of the body. The

figure illustrates the full size" of the pessary in cross section, the overall diameter of this fluted portion being equal to or greater than the diameter of the head.

While only four forms of pessary have been illustrated and described it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to such forms but the illustrations have merely been made for the purpose of setting forth the principal concept of the invention which is the provision of a soluble pessary which is chambered and which contains a medicating substance.

It is believed, however, that the particular forms herein set forth are novel with applicant and claims have, therefore, been directed to these forms of pessary-in which medicine containing chambers are formed. A

.While as described the invention is directed to a chambered pessary it is to be understood that the idea disclosed may be incorporated in other soluble bodies which are designed for-lug sertioninto the body cavities such, for example,

as suppositories, nasal and other bougies and like bodies.

In forming the present pessaries in the manner illustrated it will be apparent that when the same has been placed in position the cup-like cavity on one side thereof will receive the tip of the organ which is to be treated and' will act in the usual manner as a supporting means therefor and also for the surrounding organ. The

' form shown in Figure 4 is such that it will maintain its position while being inserted and until the cavity-like forward end i5 has been properly located. The elongateddesign of the body serves to prevent its turning from position after insertion.

In addition to the foregoing it is to a understood thatin addition to providing the pessary with chambers or a chamber in which medicinal substances may be placed for release when the body dissolves, the body itself may be medicated or simply formed of 'a sterile substance of suitable character as desired. It is also to be understood that the pessary may be used without having the chambers thereof filled with medici-,

rating the medicinal agent in'the material of which the pessary is formed, as, for example, the body of the pessary may be perforated, grooved or slit and such areas filled with medicine and closed by a thin covering of the material of which the body is formed. Such a method may be employed in association with solid pessary bodies as well as chambered ones of the character here illustrated. By this method the medicinal substance such as salve or the like would be liberated more quickly than from the cham- J bers where.a thicker wall is formed to, dissolve away, or if desired, the device may consist of a plurality 'of cells, but instead of being regularly constructed. the cells .may be formed by air trapped into the substance before it hardens. so that it will have a sponge-like construction and texture.

Having thus described the invention, what'is claimed is:-

1. A pessary adaptedto be positioned within one body organ to sterilize the saine and to pre vent foreign matter within said organ from entering into another body organ, said pessary consisting of a one-piece body member of soluble material, said body member having oppositely convexed' side walls and oppositely concaved end walls merging with said side walls, said end walls extending towards each other interiorly of the body member to provide at each end of the body member a concaved recess disposed substan tially wholly within the top and bottom planes of the body member, said body member containing a medicament and freeing the same in said first named organ as the body member dissolves, one of said concaved end walls being adapted to close the entrance to said second named body organ and the other concaved end wall being adapted to entrap and retain foreign matter ente'ring said first named organ until said body" member is dissolved.

'2. The pessary of claim 1, in which the side walls are extended at one end of the body member beyond the adjacent end wall thereof to provide with such end wall an elongated openbottom, closed-top sleeve.

Y RUTH w. MUNRO. 

